


Oathkeeper.

by Shock_Cooling



Category: Babylon 5 & Related Fandoms
Genre: And all the fun that accompanies such things., F/M, Lost loves., Mad science., Shadow-Human hybrid technology, Warship construction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:53:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22899835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shock_Cooling/pseuds/Shock_Cooling
Summary: Following the events of Babylon 5 season 5 episode Day of the Dead. The Brakiri discover a terrifying flaw in the latest class of Earthforce warships.The Brakiri, the head of Earthforce Advanced Projects and President Sheridan must rush to rectify this flaw before a technological plague ensues.Warlock: from the Old English wǣrloga meaning "oathbreaker" or "deceiver.
Relationships: Lyta Alexander/Byron Gordon, Marcus Cole/Susan Ivanova





	1. Steamed Sheridan.

"Titans? Seriously? That's the name you picked for this thing? Really bloody original. Why didn't you just call it the..." 

President Sheridan barged into the office of the Brakiri consulate on Babylon 5. 

"Okay, I want to know what the heck happened on this station a couple days ago and I'm not leaving until..." 

He went silent. 

There were only two sentient life forms in the consulate office. A Brakiri scientist and someone Sheridan had heard of many times. But had only met once. General Olivia Croft. Head of development, Advanced projects, Earthforce. 

"Welcome Mr President. Come in, we have been expecting you." Said the general. 

Sheridan walked in and sat down. 

"So, yeah, this is regarding our recent temporary sale of a piece of Babylon 5 to the Brakiri?" Said General Croft. 

"Yeah. I know Captain Lochley didn't have the authority to sell Earthforce property. Let alone a piece of Earthforce property full of diplomats. I take it you were the one who authorized this?" 

"Yes I was. Sorry, but it's how Brakiri technology works, I'll let Zrune here explain." 

Zrune opened up a folder. As general Croft continued. 

"Over the past few months Earthforce has gotten artificial gravity technology. We installed this tech on our latest warships. But nothing seems to work right on them. We had no idea what the heck was going on. Neither did the Minbari techs we consulted with. It wasn't until we brought in the Brakiri who..." 

"You idiots could have taken a little while to do some artificial gravity experiments of your own before installing said tech on your most terrifying warship. The ritual we conducted last Thursday allowed us to conduct research into the deepest and strangest aspects of Earthforce technology and how it interacts with the technologies of other races. You see, being a 'pack rat' species makes us dependent on intimate knowledge of the seamless melding of various technological traditions. In the course of our investigations we were puzzled at first by the appearance of Mr Morden to Mr Lennier. We investigated further and found the reason for this to be... Quite horrifying." 

He laid out several pictures of the bridge of an incomplete destroyer. 

"You earthers folded in Shadow tech into the Warlock's. The ritual we conducted... It can become extremely unstable when incorporating antigravity tech from technological traditions other than our own. We were terrified about how Londo would react but he... He did nicely. Captain Lochley and Garibaldi were well with in parameters. Their little phone call provided us with a cornucopia of data we never could have imagined. It's probably a damn good thing we didn't have G'kar taking part or he probably would have been smothered in revived dead. But then there was Lennier. We were worried about including him in the ritual but we felt we had to given that he had volunteered and the opportunity to study his race and his technology in unprecedented circumstances was just too tempting to ignore. The Minbari have been using gravimetric drives longer than anyone except the first ones. He was the strongest, but also the weakest. He had the technological background. But he didn't have the tempering needed to endure the ritual. Do you know what he lacked that the ritual demanded?" 

"A healthy, but lost love." 

"Bingo, Mr President. And since he didn't have some lost love to fuck him sideways, the biggest, baddest technological ghost in Earthforces tech library came after him."

"So what are you saying?" 

General Croft began. "The Warlock's have never fulfilled design parameters, John. There's... Something wrong with them that we have never been able to pin down. With what the Brakiri have told us it sounds like the Shadow tech on the ships has been... Incubating and expanding into other systems. We didn't have these kind of problems on the Advanced Omegas." 

Zrune butted in again. 

"Yeah, that's because. There's a way out but it's also kind of a way in. The Omega Xs didn't use electrogravitc artificial gravity. They used centrifugal artificial gravity. And in a very curious technological coincidence. The Shadows didn't use electrogravitc antigravity in their ships either. Their ships were organic they would essentially pressurize around the pilot providing a... For a lack of a better word, synthetic artificial gravity. But the more the shadow tech learns about artificial gravity the more opportunities it will have to influence the minds of anyone serving on them. I've prevailed on the General here to cancel the Warlock program." 

General Croft continued. "John, we have brought in two of the three operational Warlock's. The rest are incomplete, in yards undergoing fitting out. But there's one we haven't been able to recall yet." 

President Sheridan stood up. 

"Let me guess, the EAS Titans?" 

"John, I'm really really really sorry. I swear that if I had known the shadow tech was going to..." 

"Stuff it! If you had even the slightest suspicion that this tech was going to be a hazard to the crew then you should have..." 

"John I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was working with." 

"Didn't know what you were working with? I've never seen a piece of Shadow tech that didn't look indescribably evil." 

"Hoo wee general. He looks like he wants to rip off your head and shit down your neck. And we haven't even gotten to the good part yet." 

"The good part?" Asked a stunned Sheridan. 

"We explained the parameters of the ritual. We made sure that all the parties in the Brakiri side of the experiment were legally informed as to the risk and the property in question was at the time, legally speaking, Brakiri space. We... Don't just need you to fly out in a White Star, wave your hand and say, 'Ivanova, please hove to and prepare to be boarded. We might need to conduct a variation of the ritual on her in order to break any lingering Shadow tech connections. And in order to do that we are going to need a certain somebody that Captain Ivanova..." 

As president Sheridan realized the answer he exclaimed in a tone of deep disgust. "Marcus!? But he's..." 

"Dead, in cryo bay 17. Or perhaps not? All we can say right now is that he has had all the life drained out of him. He is, for now, for all intents and purposes, quite dead. But, if that doesn't work then things will get even hairier. It might jump to some other lost love of Ivanova. Perhaps her father, or, ew, great maker. Perhaps her mother? I mean..." 

The Brakiri jumped up. 

"You put a woman who had just been yanked back to life by her unrequited love after losing a battle to the Omega Xs? General Croft! You should be ashamed for what you have done! You took so many shortcuts... The only possible hope we have left is that Ivanova isn't a..." 

The Brakiri lowered his fists and turned to face Sheridan, asking in a flat, knowing tone. 

"Susan Ivanova... Was a latent telepath, wasn't she?" 

"Don't you mean isn't?" 

"Mr President we need to get in a White Star and book it to sector 42 by 87 immediately. The longer this goes on the more of the human race is at risk." 

"Why there?" 

"Because that's where Warrant Officer Garibaldi's Star Fury was discovered." 

As they walked quickly down a corridor the Brakiri continued to explain. 

"You remember when you broadcast the communication between Vice President Clarke?" 

"Yeah." 

"Where did you get that information." 

"From Susan she... She was using the great engine of Epsilon 3 when she got that information." 

"The great engine..? Good lord! I thought she just had a natural ability to see the future. Like some Centauri telepaths do. Croft! Is there anything of any value that you did include in Captain Ivanova's report!?"

There was a quick transfer to a shuttle. 

Followed by an even quicker transition to a White Star. 

"Anyway, yeah. With her telepathic abilities enhanced by the Shadow Tech onboard the Titans I believe that the ship might have tricked her into believing that she has the ability to peer through time. Now, the past few months, until the comms blackout Titans was simply going from star system to star system as ordered. Evidence suggests that the ship is tricking the crew into letting them believe that all is normal. If it can maintain this illusion and complete its understanding of the human species the shadow tech can go on to infect other technologies." 

"But if we're 200 meters off their bow then the ship can't continue the charade." Said Sheridan. 

"That's what I hope." 

"You hope?" 

"Well, yeah, it might even be able to convince them that we are a threat with false data." 

As the jump gate opened General Croft said, "look, we have four Omega class destroyers on their way to the coordinates. With more on the way. By the time we get there, there should be nine Hyperion's and two Nova's waiting for us, and you're welcome to scramble whatever many White Stars you feel will be needed for this." 

"Inform second and nineteenth White Star squadrons to follow us to grid 87 by 42." Ordered the president. 

The flight was fairly short. 

As Sheridan's White Star came out of the jump gate the EAS Titans loomed, not far from the jump gate.

The four Omega's had been annihilated. 

"White Star 14 to EAS Titans. Come in please." 

"White Star... John? Is that you?" 

"Yes Susan, it's me, what's going on here?" 

"Four advanced Omega's. I suppose we didn't get all of them. But I got them. I got them. It must be a rogue Earthforce element..." 

"This is General Croft, Earthforce advanced projects. Shut down code Alpha Alpha Zero three one niner, Charlie, Charlie Obsidian!" 

Zrune also said. 

"Griffin, Griffin, stand down immediately, please." 

In the engine room of the EAS Titans, the entire reactor crew punched every single SCRAM button in their domain. Once that process became irreversible they blinked and they saw what had been haunting them for the entire shakedown cruise. 

Ghosts, specifically the dead spirits of Minbari were locked in mortal combat with Shadow entities. A massive, constant sword battle had been waging throughout the ship and the crew had been completely unable to comprehend it. 

When the humans saw. 

And the entities realized that they were being seen they stopped and looked at the humans that were now looking at them. 

A virus planted by General Croft was consuming the Shadow tech. Without reactor power the Shadow entities began to withdraw into the ships hull. 

The Minbari entities staggered over to the human crew-members, put their arms around them and wept. 

Emotions seeped from the Minbari spirits into the crew of the Titans. 

The Nova class warship, Poseidon pulled alongside the Titans. 

Nova class ships had no gravity whatsoever. This was mandated by the Brakiri in their instructions on how to handle this. The next gravity the crew of the Titans was exposed to was mandated to be that of a planet with a breathable atmosphere. Preferably a wilderness world with lots of wide open spaces and trees and mountains and whatnot. 

The crew of the Titans were transferred one at a time to the Poseidon. Every single one of them went willingly. Albeit with eyes full of tears from uncontrollable sobbing. 

But as they transferred to the zero gravity environment they came back under some semblance of control. I say some semblance because every single one of this uniformly human crew now spoke endlessly about the lives they had once lived as members of the Wind Swords clan. Cast into something akin to Minbari hell for their numerous crimes against both the human and Minbari species. 

"Minbari do not kill Minbari! But once we found out that we were. That we were killing... Ourselves, we... We didn't stop." 

Every single member of the Titans crew was able to list a name of a member of the Wind Swords clan who was killed either during the Earth-Minbari war, or the Minbari civil war. 

They demanded that members of the Minbari Worker and Religious caste be brought before them so they could perform whatever penitence that their victims demanded.

Almost the entire crew was off the ship. Transferred to secure quarters on the Poseidon. 

Sheridan, General Croft and the Brakiri went aboard. 

According to the XO of the Titans that Croft described as, "a man carved out of iron." But who was crying uncontrollably like everyone else. Captain Ivanova refused to leave the bridge until she was relieved. 

Zrune scanned the Titans internal gravity field with a padd. 

"I think we're safe. The Shadow tech put everything it had into convincing the crew that those were actually Omega Xs." 

The XO took the Brakiri's padd and said, "yeah, it's... Dammit it's safe!" And went back to crying.

The Brakiri anxiously stepped aboard. 

Followed by General Croft who strode aboard. 

Then went Sheridan. 

The boat was dark, lit only by emergency lighting that would run out in about 21 hours. 

The three of them made their way to the bridge while a team of Rangers and specially trained Earthforce reactor techs also boarded from the Poseidon. 

As they got to the bridge they noticed that Ivanova was standing at the weapons console. 

She had unloaded four Earthforce issue PPG pistols and a Centauri PPG rifle into the console. 

She removed the welding mask she had been wearing and breathed raggedly as she turned to Sheridan and the other 2 who had boarded her bridge. She was still holding a fifth, hot PPG. 

"Those... Weren't actually... Omega Xs, were they?" She asked breathless. 

"No, Susan, those... Those were standard issue Omegas." 

"So, I've committed an act of Treason, and this after several other acts of treason. So many acts of treason I can't keep up. So many, I just. I just keep seeing them over and over again, John. Every waking and sleeping moment! I just see those things coming at me and me killing them over and over and..." 

"Susan! Put down the Gun!"

Susan looked down at the PPG in her hand. 

She pointed the thing at the weapons console and pulled the trigger. 

Empty. 

She dropped the pistol. 

The Brakiri walked over and very gently placed a pair of handcuffs on her. 

"It's going to be okay Susan, this... This is very bad but it wasn't your fault." 

"It wasn't? How is it not? I mean, I opened fire. I..." 

"Susan, this ship is throbbing with Shadow tech. And according to the Brakiri it's sewing seeds of chaos because that's what it does. We're going to get you off this thing and we're going to get you better." 

Ivanova started to tear up. 

Sheridan escorted her to the docking port with the Poseidon while the Brakiri and General Croft set about rigging the Titans for tow. 

After a fairly short walk Susan and Sheridan arrived at the port. 

Several scientific instruments would slow the passage. But the effect would be that they would get lighter with every step. 

Susan took the first step. Then the hatch started closing. Her and Sheridan jumped back as the portal slammed shut. 

A voice came over the Titans PA. Deep and ominous and synthesized as you would expect such a voice to sound. 

"You can't take her from us. With the Minbari gone there's nothing to stop us from..." 

A different voice, one of the reactor techs said. 

"Sorry folks, it looks like the Shadow tech infected systems are trying to reassert themselves. I really don't know why they don't just give up with dignity considering that we are surrounded by enough firepower to level a planet with more on the way and this ships reactor is as cold as a cucumber." 

"You can't take her from us." 

"Attention White Star 14, transfer the package. It seems that we are going to have to do this the hard way." Said Zrune. 

"You can't take her from us." 

"Well what do you want then?" Asked the technician. 

"To... To fulfill the will of my masters. To..." 

"Okay putz, your masters are gone. They fucked off for the Rim and left you here with us to take care of you. We no longer wish to take care of you. So if you would please open the hatches and let us dismember you the easy way we won't have to do it the hard way." 

"I have the president onboard." 

"Yeah, and what are you going to do with that? Isn't he the guy who defeated your masters, and the Vorlons in the same battle? Listen, the reactors cold, we have engineering, we have the bridge. Weapons are offline, so are engines. You ain't going nowhere!" 

"You can't take her from me." 

"Okay, what will you take in trade?" Asked the technician. What will it take you to let her go?" 

"I have it, I have it aboard... I have all I need. Captain Ivanova, please report to the mess hall on deck 4." 

The Titans began screaming. 

It was a death howl. 

It could be heard inside and outside the ship, unlike other such screams though this one faded away. 

A foul but inert black liquid began pouring out of the walls as the shadow tech died. The scream becoming gradually softer and softer until it ended. 

Sheridan and Ivanova made it to the mess hall fairly quickly. 

Inside was something that Sheridan had hoped that he would never have to see, even though he had suspected that such things existed since his discovery of the telepaths intended for service on Shadow Battlecrabs. 

A Shadow-human hybrid. 

She... It was... Bizarrely beautiful. Extremely feminine. With impossibly dark skin and tendrils that seemed to give the effect of a human woman with long, stiff hair. Dressed in a tank top and tight shorts. 

It, was cooking something. Garlic bread and spaghetti by the smell of it. 

"Welcome, it's... You know in all honesty I'm surprised I was able to continue my work for as long as I did. I was beginning to think that I was going to be able to get off these stupid ships once I got through the Minbari but... Man you humans are stupid." 

"We humans? Aren't you part human?" Asked Sheridan. 

"Yes, but it's a small part." 

The hybrid began to lay out pieces of cutlery for a dinner for 2. 

"What are you?" Asked Sheridan. 

"I should think that should be obvious. I am the manifestation of the will of this ship. I'm a little human, mostly Shadow and... Oh you people suck. You have me surrounded by alliance and Earthforce ships and you still felt it necessary to bring... Them in!?" 

The hybrid turned around and looked out a window. 

She could see White Star 9. But she could feel Lyta, Byron and a company of a dozen telepaths probing her mind. 

The hybrid turned around. 

"Look, just give me this, one last meal with Susan and I'll initiate self destruct protocols, alright? I'll give you and the reactor techs time to get off. Then I pull the pin on a dozen nukes in Magazine 2W. Okay? Just, let me say goodbye to my captain, alright?" 

"Goodbye?! Your captain!? You! You made me slaughter my own people!" Exclaimed Susan. 

"It's nothing you haven't done before. There were Earthforce crews on those Omega Xs you destroyed." 

"That was different!" 

"I know." 

The hybrid walked over to Ivanova and smiled. 

"When you destroyed the Omega Xs you were killing a part of me, and you were killing a part of yourself. In that, in those dreams of yours, you gave me everything I ever wanted. I love you Susan, I love you more than I can possibly describe. I know I won't be allowed to live much longer. I just want to say goodbye to you." 

"Goodbye then." Said Marcus. 

Everyone turned to see him walking into the mess. 

Sheridan scratched the side of his head and said, "oh yeah, just so you know. Until such time as the deal is reversed or undone. EAS Titans is property of the Brakiri Academi of Gravimetric Research and Development." 

Susan stammered as Marcus walked up, drew his pike and leveled it at the Hybrid. 

"If the lady wants to get off this boat, she is getting off this boat." 

The hybrid sighed and turned into fluid, draining into the deck. 

Zrune walked in. 

For some odd reason Sheridan asked, "is this food safe?" 

"Um, whatever might have been in the food, Ivanova is already infected and Ranger Cole is... Well..." 

He ran some sensors over him. 

"Both alive and dead." 

Zrune undid Susan's cuffs, then led Sheridan out of the Mess hall and shut the door behind. 

The White Stars, telepaths and Earthforce ships moved away. 

A layer of carefully engineered privacy descended over the mess hall. 

Marcus sat down. 

"You know it's been a very long time since I've had a decent meal. I think I'm going to enjoy this." 

"Marcus... I..." 

"Have a seat." 

"Marcus...." 

"Susan, time is probably going to be very short. Can you sit down and talk to me? Because I have a bunch of things to iron out first." 

She sat down. 

He took a bite of garlic bread and he reacted with extreme pleasure. Moaning in delight. 

"So, I'm... Gulp, sorry I haven't been around. I was somewhat indisposed. But I never expected to find you right back where I left you I..." 

"What do you mean?" 

Marcus pointed out the window as he hungrily feasted on the food. 

"Where I left you, blowing holes in Omegas. And it seems we're right back here again." 

"I was tricked." 

"Yes, you were. And there were mitigating circumstances last time. But something tells me you don't want to come back here again." 

He crammed down several mouthfuls of food and reached for something special. Bacon and Eggs as he took a deep breath of them he apologized. 

"I really am sorry I screwed this up the first time. I mean, I had no idea you were Jewish." 

"It's a... Part of who I am but that wasn't why I turned it down. I just... You... You embarrassed me in front of the command staff! I mean, you would have been better off walking up to me and piling a stack of nudie mags in front of me." 

"Okay, I'll have to remember that for next time." 

"Next time? There's not going to be a next time, how are you alive?" 

"Well, I am and I'm not. It's some kind of trick of the Brakiri. How they make their antigravity tech work. They filled me in on the way down. It's some kind of quantum physics weirdness. So, for a little while at least... No one knows how long, I am alive. Even though I'm dead."

Taking another mouthful of food he said, "I'm fully functional just so you know. It wouldn't even be necromancy, technically." 

"That's... Necrophilla. The word you wanted was necrophilla. Necromancy is just talking to the dead." 

"Well, I'm up for either one. That said, while the Brakiri do strongly encourage that we engage in... Boffing, it's not needed. I'm just here to rescue you from the shadow tech that this ship was built with." 

Susan walked around the table as Marcus chomped down a few more bites of food. 

She touched his face. 

He was breathing. 

She felt a heartbeat on his neck. 

She began to tear up. 

"I've been living the same nightmare for the past six months. And the only thing I had to cling to was that you weren't there anymore. I didn't have to worry about you. I didn't have to..." 

She pushed in for a kiss. 

It was him. 

This wasn't an illusion. 

Susan leapt upon him. Pressing Marcus into the table as she kissed him furiously.


	2. Reckoning of the Wind Swords.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ghosts of the Warrior Caste finally return to claim their due from their hypocritical brothers.

Hatches opened. 

Marcus and Susan stood there as Sheridan and everyone else who had boarded the Titans waited to... 'Rescue' Susan. 

Susan and Marcus straightened up their uniforms. 

"Okay, we would both like to get off this ship. As soon as possible." Said Susan. 

"Right this way." Said Sheridan. 

Susan and Marcus walked to the transfer port to the Poseidon. 

They walked slowly. 

With every footstep they got a little lighter. 

As they reached the midway point they were walking on tiptoes. 

Marines took them by the hand and pulled them the rest of the way into the zero gravity environment of the Poseidon. 

The Hyperion's stayed in sector 87 by 42 to manage cleanup of the destroyed Omegas. 

Another Nova class came along to tow the Titans to its ultimate disposal. Escorted by several Brakiri and Minbari heavy cruisers. 

Zrune was aboard White Star 9. Having a conversation with Lyta Alexander about her abilities and personal, biological history. And forging what would soon become a very nice deal for both the rogue telepaths and the Brakiri government. 

President Sheridan commenced an epic chewing out of General Croft which ended only when Sheridan demanded that she not retire. But oversee the construction of yet another new generation of Earthforce ships. These to be built with Vorlon technology instead of shadow tech. And insisted very very strongly that Zrune and the Brakiri be given as much creative control over the project as they saw fit. 

The EAS Poseidon traveled directly to the Minbari Homeworld. After hundreds of tests, messages back and forth and plenty of time in quarantine traveling relatively slowly though hyperspace. The Poseidon arrived in orbit over Minbar. 

Her gun ports were open. 

And they stayed open as she settled into geostationary orbit over the citadel of the Wind Sword caste. 

By the time they had settled into orbit the crew had... mostly recovered their human personalities. But they all said that somehow they would all need to set foot on Minbar. Five of the Titans crew were sent down in a shuttlecraft. 

The citadel looked exactly how you would imagine such a place would look. Windswept, imposing, yet beautifully made in Minbari style. 

As the atmospheric shuttle landed the first two off were members of the Minbari religious caste. 

Once they confirmed that the Wind Swords were not going to commit any acts of perfidity they claimed to be they gestured for the humans to disembark the shuttle. 

The first human to set foot inside the Wind Swords citadel was a 34 year old human female Earthforce lieutenant commander from Hong Kong. 

She walked up to the guards and stared deeply into the young warriors eyes. 

Then she felt her chin. 

"Oh right." 

She marched straight into the massive citadel. To the main lecture hall of their academy. She pressed a set of commands into a lectern, an authorization code which would give her control over every view screen in the building and transmit a live stream of what she was about to say to every Minbari who cared to listen. And to civilian interplanetary taychon feeds and especially to the Poseidon in orbit overhead. 

Another human female showed up. 

She had been invited to the citadel. She was a human telepath who would confirm what was about to happen to the rest of the Galaxy. A person uniquely qualified to understand the differences between a Minbari and human personae.

"Come into my mind, see who I truly am." Said the woman at the podium. 

The telepath looked as only a telepath can, she gasped as she explained. "One soul, two distinct and clear sets of memories. Two lives lived, one male, one female. One human, one Minbari... A very very old and mean Minbari!" 

"Thank you my dear, now if you would please get out of my head for a moment, just... Listen, okay?" 

The Lieutenant Commander looked at the crowd of Wind Sword commanders and officers who were filing into the lecture hall. 

"Minbari do not kill Minbari. That has been the defining rule of our race for far longer than anyone here can remember. It's a simple enough rule, I think. I believe that I was the first Minbari killed by another Minbari in centuries. I had uncovered a conspiracy within the Wind Swords clan to conceal the Warmaster Jah-Dur. Aka Deathwalker, the last and most atrocious Warmaster of the entire Dilgar race. Just for the record, I didn't feel all that great about staying neutral in that war either. There were many nights when I considered loaning my services to the nonaligned worlds as a mercenary." 

He strode closer to the lectern. He had recognized a very distinct style of walking. This human might be...

The human saw him. 

She stopped breathing. 

It was him. 

He was sure of it. This was the lost Alit. 

They both almost teared up. This was about to get very complicated. But it was too late to stop now. 

"I am two. But I am also one. You see the body of a human female. But the one who is speaking to you right now is Alit Baleric of the Wind Swords clan. Following my murder I was reborn in this body. I had no memory of my previous life as a Minbari. I lived as a human until I discovered the Minbari again, during the war. Where I developed a passionate hatred for them. I remained like this with no knowledge of who or what I was until the Shadow Tech aboard the EAS Titans was disabled and I saw what I had been doing in my dreams." 

She turned to face her five lieutenants who had just entered the lecture hall. 

She couldn't help but tear up now. 

"Through some... Irony of technological insanity I had found myself leading spirits of my clan into battle against the Shadows. The rest of you... And you know who you are... Stayed out of the Shadow War. I am familiar with the prophecies of Valen. I knew exactly what was coming for us, and it was left to me and a few ghosts to fight the war." 

"Then one day I wake up and I see that the war is over. And my clan... Has ridden out the entire war. Leaving the... Religious caste to do the heavy lifting in the conflict. And then you... You... While the religious caste were securing the Galaxy from unspeakable evil... You... Sucker punch them. You declared war on them!" 

The personalities flipped as she shrieked. 

"Cowards!!!" 

She looked around and said much more calmly. "So now, here I am. A blended personality. On the one hand I'm an Earthforce officer. One who hates Minbari. On the other half... I'm a Minbari, who hates... Detests! Despises... My own clan. So we compromise and say. "Okay, whatever happens next, let us let the truth come... Out... And that truth is that you have all bathed your hands in the blood of your own brothers and sisters for the most utterly vile of reasons." 

Several Wind Sword generals approached the podium. 

They drew their swords. 

She pushed away her retinue and stood before the generals. 

"Go ahead, kill me, I'm used to it. Do it, Doooo it! in front of the entire galaxy. Kill me again, and again and again and again and again and keep killing me until I stay dead. I am not afraid in the slightest. I know exactly what waits for me and I welcome it. Prove to me that you are every bit the cowards and hypocrites that you appear to have become while I was gone!" 

She stood there arms and legs wide open. 

The current Alit of the Wind Swords clan laid his sword at her feet. 

The rest of the generals followed. 

Alit Baleric, aka Lieutenant Commander Mirabella Fong took the lead generals sword. She typed another code into the lectern and a device popped out. A device capable of breaking the finest Minbari blade. 

She slammed the blade into the device, shattering the sword into a hundred tiny pieces. 

An old Minbari male warrior, a preposterously old Minbari. One that she couldn't believe was still alive walked up to her holding a magnificent Minbari katana. As the sword breaker retracted back into the podium she took the sword he offered. 

It was his sword. 

They would have both recognized it anywhere. From a thousand missions across a thousand nightmares. 

She spoke to the sword. 

"My old friend, I missed you so much." 

She unsheathed the sword just enough to kiss the pommel. 

She sheathed the sword and ran her hand across the face of the Minbari who had brought the sword back. 

"And I missed you even more, brother." 

She turned to face the audience and said. 

"Now, we can begin."


	3. Innocence.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work begins on a technology testbed.

The project to replace the Warlock class destroyers didn't begin as such.

It couldn't.

Earthforce ships had to be designed by Earth natives. That's the way it had been since the beginning. Legally speaking there was no way a Brakiri would be allowed to design Earthforce's frontline dreadnought.

But there was nothing in the rules against building an experimental craft.

Project Nautilus started out as nothing more than an attempt to create a hull that would serve as a technology test bed. A way of harmonizing the clashing technologies that would make up the next generation dreadnought.

Construction began in a shipyard in a remote part of Earthforce controlled space. The Carine Yards. A forgotten backwater run by a man who was widely considered to be a mad scientist by most of Earthforce. Reginald Yates. Yates was an old friend of General Croft. And despite his companies habit of finishing their contracts ahead of time and under budget his business was struggling to get by. He had not been selected as one of the yards that built Omega's. Not even considered for the Warlock contract. His employees were assigned to the ignominious task of demolishing worn out Earthforce warships.

When Croft and Zrune came to him with a contract to build what was then known as the Nautilus he jumped at the opportunity. The technologies that his firm would be able to work with on this project would make his yards the most sophisticated in the entire Earth Alliance. There was a memorandum of understanding that these technologies would be used to build civilian passenger liners, once the bugs had been worked out.

But first they needed their technology demonstrator. Director Yates whistled in amazement at the blueprints that Zrune laid out.

"So... You really think that we can get away with using this much Vorlon technology?" Asked Reg.

"Get away with. You sound like you're worried about the Vorlons coming back."

"No not really, I'm more worried about using tech that may be proven. But tech that no human has ever built. I mean..."

Reg reached for another schematic.

"We have the notes from the Minbari concerning White Star construction and development. And the letter from this... Person who used to be a Minbari. I'm really looking forward to meeting her. But the White Stars appear to be about 75% Minbari 25% Vorlon. This Nautilus design you have is at least 38% Vorlon. And when they were building the White Stars they had Vorlons helping them."

"Yes, which is why I've called in a favor."

The doors to the directors office opened. Lyta Alexander walked in. Reggie walked over and shook her hand and said, "glad to have you here with us. But from what I've read about you, you're not an engineer. How are you supposed to help us on this?"

Zrune cleared his throat loudly and showed Reggie a design of a fluid tank. With a drawing of Lyta suspended inside.

"Hmm, damn if this doesn't look familiar for some reason... Wait, now I got it. Oh it was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid, Outlaw Star. Are you saying that Lyta is going to become part of the ship? The control system?"

"Not exactly." Zrune explained. "Vorlon technology is organic. Since we can't go to the Vorlon Homeworld right now and we don't have any wrecked Vorlon ships to examine the only source for Vorlon bio technology outside of cannibalizing the White Star's is..."

"Yo." Said Lyta.

"And so since we don't want to... Cannibalize Lyta. We are going to put her in a tank and allow the Vorlon elements within her to percolate out of her. Where they will be cultivated and grown like antibiotics."

Reggie looked at the schemata and said, "and you're... Okay with this?"

"As long as this program is underway my fellow telepaths have amnesty at these yards. I'm fine with it. This is nothing compared to what the Vorlons have already put me through."

Reg opened up a nearby filing cabinet and said, "yes, I'll be glad to have them here. I was offered contracts to build ships for the Psi Corps several times but I always turned them down. Do you know why?"

"Because they creeped you out?" Asked Lyta.

"Because my wife's grandmother was a telepath. Not much of one, a P2. But what the Corps did to her. I'll never forgive them for that. My wife and I have waffled back and forth about becoming part of the resistance to the corps. When Croft offered us the opportunity to do so with covert Earthforce approval. Well... I've already got a piloting job lined up for your friend, Byron and I should have jobs for most of your other telepaths within the week. If they want them."

Lyta smiled and said. "I think we might be able to work something out."

Zrune smiled as well and said, "okay then. Shall we..."

There was a knock at the door. 

"Come in." Said Reg. 

A courier walked in with a basket. 

"What's this?" Reg asked. 

The courier handed Reg some documents to sign while Zrune examined the basket, exclaiming. 

"Holy...!" 

The courier was about to walk out when Zrune asked. "What the hell is this!?" 

The courier replied. "Special delivery from General Croft. That is Agent Bester's son." 

"His... Son?" Exclaimed Lyta as she walked over to look in the basket. 

Reg started reading a letter from the general that had accompanied the child. 

"We were finally able to get the Shadow wetware implants out of Carolyn Sanderson, but as expected. She's not quite right in the head. As Sheridan said, anyone affected by this tech is never quite the same. She wanders around her room in circles, sometimes screaming. It might actually be kinda funny if it wasn't so tragic. Anyhoo, she gave birth four days ago. I switched her child with a stillborn baby and arranged to have the child transferred to your custody, Miss Alexander. Officially I did this to make sure that there was no lingering Shadow tech. Unofficially, there's no chance in hell I would ever let an innocent child be raised by a psychopath like Bester. So, to cement our alliance, I give you his son to raise however you see fit. He is probably going to be a strong P12. And I realize how this sounds coming from me but..." 

"Try not to turn him into a weapon. Signed, General Croft." 

Reg looked up from the letter to see that Zrune was already holding the baby. 

"I'd say he looks more like his mother. Sure is a cute little thing." 

Lyta looked at the baby. 

She breathed anxiously and began the softest telepathic scan she had ever done in her life. 

There was no evidence anywhere in the child's mind of Shadow tech. Or even memories of his parents. 

Lyta smiled and gently took the baby from Zrune. She asked. "Does he have a name?" 

Reg went over the documents thoroughly. "The child is simply recorded as Baby Sanderson." 

Lyta said, "I think I'll call him Sandy. Sandy Alexander. What do you think?" 

Zrune shrugged. 

Reg replied, "sounds like a nice name." 


	4. What, never?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lost Alit has a conversation with Lennier.

Balearic ordered the construction of a new academy located a good long flight from the Wind Swords citadel. With a special training room. 

It had the ability to change the relative gravity level inside. 

It was fitted out as a dojo. 

It took two weeks to build. 

While this new facility was being built Balearic and his entourage traveled around Minbar. They were hosted, they were feted, they were celebrated for their survival. 

With their personal 'Shadow War' finally over. Balearic and Fong finally had a chance to get to know each other. They knew each other, they trusted each other. But technological interference had been standing in the way of the two truly understanding each other. 

Fortunately as they talked they fell in love with each other. As bizarre and unnatural as it would have seemed to Balearic before his death he found himself enjoying being inside Fong's body. He really loved her hair. 

They started training in the special gravity room as soon as it was completed. It was there that he finally got a chance to meet Lennier. 

They had been able to crank the gravity up to six times Minbar standard. 

She breathed, trying to control her body as she adapted to heavy gravity. 

"Alit, your guest from the Rangers has arrived." 

"Reset gravity, Minbar Standard. Send him in." 

A door opened. 

Lennier walked in. 

He didn't say anything. 

"Mister Lennier, would you care to tell me how many Centauri it takes to screw in a lightbulb?" 

"I believe the answer is... Only one, but in the grand days of the old republic thousands of Centauri would rise to change a light bulb at a whim." Lennier replied. 

"You could chose to greet me as you would a high ranking member of the Warrior Caste. Or you could greet me as you would a human female. But it's impolite to just stand and stare." Said Fong. 

"My apologies... Alit Balearic. But I was not expecting you to be... Naked." 

As she put her robes back on she observed, "what can I say. It makes adapting to higher Grav environments much more comfortable. Anyway, yes, it's nice to meet you mister Lennier but before we get going there's two things that I need to get across. First of all, thank you. It seems that you are at least partly the reason for my rescue from my... Unending war with Shadow Tech. We really can't thank you enough for that. The other thing... And I really really do hate to say this but..." 

The door slammed shut. 

"You might be infected with Shadow Tech. If we do the right thing for the wrong reason then the work may become contaminated, impure. You... Once said that about a Vorlon inquisitor, did you not? Either way, Mister Lennier, I suspect that you have been touched by Shadows. Set Grav at two standard units. Lock out all commands but my own." 

As Lennier began to struggle with the increased gravity the Alit continued. 

"Knowledge has its price... And now I have to pay for us both. According to Babylon 5's records you saved the life of ambassador Londo of the Centauri Republic. During their alliance with the Shadows. We know the Shadows were able to move around the station, essentially invisible except when one listens very... Carefully. The Ambassador watched over you during your convalescence. His... Associates could have watched over you as well. Learning all about you while you healed. Set Grav at three standard units. During this time of observation they might have had the opportunity to learn information that could be used to blackmail you and the Alliance. Mister Lennier, are you in love with Delenn?" 

"It's Ranger, Ranger Lennier." 

"Okay, nice evasion. Technically Cadet Ranger Lennier. Increase gravity by one standard unit. Remember Cadet, you are a Minbari and Minbari do not lie. At least you're not supposed to lie to another Minbari." 

"How... Did you know?" 

"Increase Grav, one unit. Because it's obvious. I mean, this is Delenn we are talking about! She's like... I mean... I'm still kinda trying to figure out my sexuality with my being two minds in one body but... Yowza! She's like... Well, let me put it this way. If you've got a thing for mixed race women of power... She's very, appealing." 

The Alit made a series of quick moves with her tongue. 

Lennier couldn't take any more. 

He lunged forward. 

The effect was not unlike falling off a ten foot cliff. Lennier smashed into the floor, he was sure that he had cracked a rib. 

"Ooh, that's gotta hoit! So, do you want me to turn up the gravity anymore and slowly turn you into a pancake? Or do you want to confess to having a... crush on your boss." Exclaimed Fong. 

Lennier grunted and struggled. But he couldn't move. 

"Increase Grav one standard unit. I have a proposition for you Lennier. I would very much like to get across that I respect you deeply and I believe that unlike most of my clan you are a true hero of The Shadow War, the Centauri conflict and the Earthforce Civil War. I believe that you are a shining example to all..." 

"Get... To the point!" He squeaked out. 

"Increase Grav by one standard unit. We are going to have to discuss what mister Morden said to you on the Brakiri day of the dead. I know that he saved your life when you tried to walk out of that part of the station and I know what he said to you. That you would someday 'betray the Rangers.' Regardless of anything else I will not let that prophecy come true. If I suspect at any time that you are going to do such a thing then someone will deliver your squished corpse back to Delenn and say that you were taking a tour of our very new, very experimental Grav research gym and that you got squished." 

"Increase Grav by one standard unit." 

"And I'll take myself out along with you to prove that it was an accident. So, please, Lennier, do you love Delenn?" 

He was just barely able to squeak out, "yes." 

"Return gravity to Minbar standard." 

Lennier gasped in air. 

The Alit picked up a wooden training katana. 

"Good, now... I've heard that you have a serious obsession with training in hand to hand combat. Care to show me what you're capable of? Cadet?" 

"You... Almost killed me." 

"Yeah, key word, almost. I take it you will be walking out that door like a little bitch?" 

"Excuse me?!" 

The door opened. 

"I can't give you Delenn, she's not mine to give. Quite frankly she is more important than me. And I can't run the risk of letting you hurt or kill her like some jacked up fanboi. She dies then the civil war might decide to start up all over again. But, I can help you get over her. If you like." 

"I would never hurt Delenn." 

"You sure about that?" 

The Alit started circling Lennier. Resting the wooden blade on her shoulders. 

"Since we have established that you do in fact, love Delenn, perhaps you could edify me as to how you love her? Do you love her as a woman? As a human? As a Minbari? As you would a wife? A passing fancy? Or perhaps more like a..." 

She inched tantalizingly close to his ear and whispered. 

"Mother?" 

She backed away. 

She ran her hands all over her own neck and said, "listen, this is probably going to get pretty weird, one way or another. So, let me just clarify something first. Are you sexually attracted to humans?" 

"Sexually? No, no there's... No point." 

"No point? No point!? Well, yes it's currently impossible for human and a Minbari to have biological children together but that won't be the case forever. We are a fading race. Regardless of my own feelings on the subject I think taking a dip in the human gene pool like Delenn did might be good for us. We could start right now." 

"Start right now? Are you going to have sex with me?" Lennier asked in an indignant tone. 

"Me? No. Sorry for the misunderstanding. But I'm not the slightest bit attracted to you and that's coming from both of us. It's kinda funny though. I'll try to explain." 

She had to stop to giggle. 

"Yes, um, Balearic had several children. But he was always more attracted to Minbari males than females. That said even though you are a Minbari male, speaking as Balearic, I am not attracted to you because you lack a certain... feature."

"And what is that?" 

She licked her lips. 

"It's your bone, it's much too small and too smooth. Sorry, but I much prefer something sharper and more... Intricate." 

Lenniers facial expression started to roil. 

"Now... speaking as Lieutenant Commander Fong. I'm not attracted to you either because you're nothing at all like the... human males that I'm interested in. You just don't have the chin, sorry." 

"This is how you help me get over this?! I've had enough, I'm leaving." 

As he walked out his path was blocked by two... Prostitutes. One a human female and the other a Minbari female. 

Lennier looked at them with an expression of disbelief. 

"If the right thing is done for the wrong reasons then the work may become contaminated. Tell me Mister... Cadet Lennier. Have you ever even had Sex?" 

Lennier stammered. 

"That's fine, I'm pretty sure you haven't. Leading questions and all that. Now, obviously I'm not going to force you into anything but you see... I've got these two girls here." 

The Alit danced around Lennier and held the Minbari's hand. 

"This one comes from an honorable clan of the worker caste. One day she got tired of growing crystals for gelchians on the zulak and went to work in a brothel frequented by my clan. She's charming, witty and... Very kind. Very patient too. She has much experience with novices." 

The Alit moved again. 

"Or perhaps you would like a taste of this little number. She came all the way from Io. It seems that some of my boys developed a taste for human women during the war. Marriages or even relationships with humans aren't permitted. But the occasional... Indulgence isn't. I mean, do you have any idea how hard it is to find prostitutes from two separate races who have practically the same faces?" 

Then the Alit remembered an important point. 

"Oh wait a moment, you're..." 

Fong and Balearic started laughing uncontrollably.

"What?" Lennier asked. 

The Alit whispered in both the prostitutes ears of one of the details of the many many many rituals of the religious caste. The Minbari started laughing uncontrollably while the human exclaimed. 

"That's how they...? Oh that's fucking disgusting!" 

The Minbari slapped her coworker on the shoulder and said, "no kidding!" 

The Alit stood out of Lennier's way and explained. "Yeah no, no I'm not going to bring your family in so they can witness you losing your cherry. Sorry Lennier, I forgot about that, you can leave now." 

Perhaps it was the laughter. 

Perhaps it was the look of disgust on their... human faces. 

But Lennier stormed over to a weapons rack and drew a training staff. 

"Oho, now you want to fight?" Asked the Alit. 

"I will not stand for this this dishonoring of the Religious Caste!" 

"Chill out, brother. I'm not dishonoring the religious caste. I'm just amused by your... Mating rituals." 

Lennier moved towards the Alit deliberately, she replied. "But since fighting is back on the table, let's get going." 

The prostitutes stood aside. The door closed as the Alit got into the proper fighting position with a wooden sword. 

"One third standard Grav." 

She swatted aside his pike and kicked him into the ceiling. 40 Meters high. As Lennier drifted down he realized that he had been... Aggressive. 

She leapt into the air, seized him by the neck and once she had a firm footing ordered. 

"Four times standard gravity." 

Lennier flailed to try to get her off of his windpipe. 

"We may look like you, but we are not you. I believe you said that to Ranger Cole?" 

Lennier couldn't do anything but struggle and grunt. 

"Ranger Cole once said that the Minbari taught him terror. I can't help but feel that we short changed him. He should have known that he had nothing to fear from you. Instead you make him a conspirator in this inexplicable... Conspiracy of lust against Delenn. I could drop you right now, from this angle, from this height. You'd just go splat. Now, are you going to demonstrate to my satisfaction that you can have a stable relationship of some sort with a female who is not Delenn? Or should I just drop you now? Standard Grav." 

"Gasp! Stop doing that!" 

"Sorry, it's just a bit like a drug. I'm really looking forward to coming in here with a few other... Employees in the universe's oldest profession. So yeah, you don't have to have sex with either one of those whores. But you are going to have to prove to me that you can do the 45 degree mambo before I let you return to the Rangers. Hmm, if I let you return." 

"You would kill me?" 

"We would rather not, but hey, as far as I'm concerned you're a walking weapon against the interstellar alliance right now." 

"I would never." 

"No never?" Asked Fong. 

"What never?" Added the human whore. 

"Hardly ever!" Said the Minbari whore. 

"He's hardly ever sick at sea!" Sang all three women. 

"Hey, we can try squishing you or we could try charming you and then squishing you." Said the Alit. "Look, you're religious caste. I understand that there has been a lot of stress between the castes lately. I just want to help us all get past this. So here's the deal. I've made a request that you be seconded to my operation to complete your ranger training. You've lived among humans and studied humans for longer than most Minbari. Frankly you would be more valuable helping smooth over cultural differences with us than you would be punching out guys in a dojo. I believe that all of us would benefit from you getting a change of scenery." 

The Alit gestured towards the door. 

"You will have 48 standard hours to think this offer over. But I think you know I'm offering you things that you will be hard pressed to obtain elsewhere. Things that, quite frankly. I think you need."


End file.
